Thrive Pet Healthcare Appoints Stahel as CEO to Build Veterinary Service Network

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Press release: Thrive Pet Healthcare

Thrive Pet Healthcare (Thrive), a leading national network of 400 veterinary hospitals, recently announced that it has appointed Tad Stahel as chief executive officer (CEO), effective June 12. Stahel brings over 20 years of business experience in healthcare and technology, which will help Thrive deliver on its mission to build the most connected, innovative and trusted pet healthcare ecosystem.

Stahel joins Thrive from DaVita, one of the largest providers of kidney care services in the U.S., where he most recently served as group vice president. In this role, Stahel built strong partnerships with C-suite medical leaders to solve complex business issues and drive successful outcomes, including growing the business to 1,000 locations across the U.S., increasing teammate retention rates, and improving clinical outcomes for patients.

“Tad is a dynamic, values-driven business leader with an excellent track record delivering best-in-class care in the healthcare space,” said Dr. Jasen Trautwein, founder and chief visionary officer of Thrive. “We are thrilled to welcome Tad, and I’m confident his collaborative nature and commitment to providing exceptional care make him a strong fit to lead Thrive.”

“I am inspired by Thrive’s commitment to nurturing people and pets through meaningful relationships and exceptional pet care,” stated Stahel. “I am looking forward to working side-by-side with a dedicated team of veterinary professionals and hospital teams who genuinely care about pets and the people who love them. Together, we’ll continue building the most connected pet healthcare ecosystem to serve more people and pets.”

“Following an extensive selection process, we are confident that Tad’s commitment to medical excellence, strong team building skills, and well-honed strategic and operational know how make him a great fit to lead Thrive into its next phase of growth,” said Hadley Mullin, chairwoman of the board and senior managing director at TSG Consumer Partners. “We are excited to welcome Tad and are confident he is well positioned to further grow Thrive’s connected and trusted veterinary network.”

Stahel succeeds Odis Pirtle, who has decided to step down from his role to pursue personal passions after more than 20 years in the veterinary industry.

Over the last 15 years, Stahel has held a dual role at DaVita, one of the largest providers of kidney care services in the U.S., leading the company’s home care and hospital business as group vice president, where he focused on home dialysis, nocturnal dialysis and pediatrics.

Prior to DaVita, Stahel served as senior vice president of Matria Healthcare (now Optum Care Management Solutions), where he was responsible for field leadership supporting patients with complex diseases, including diabetes, heart failure, and pain management.

Stahel has also held leadership positions at technology startups, overseeing the development of product management, operations and client services functions.

After graduating from Harvard Business School, Stahel started his career in consulting for McKinsey, where he was responsible for leading multiple teams addressing strategic, organizational and operational performance across financial and information services, among others.